2014 Draft class

[oldsox]

The more I think about it, the Sox have to take the best pitcher available at #3, regardless of signability concerns. I know that drafting Rodon is a risk, but if he's the top guy on our board in terms of talent we really need to roll the dice on him. I don't think we'll be drafting in the top 5 again anytime soon and it's absolutely critical we get a front of the rotation starter of this pick. If Rodon has the best chance of becoming that player, then just take him at #3 and force him to pass up millions of dollars right now if he's really demanding 1-1 money.

Don't count on it.

[Y2Jimmy0]

Trying to save a few bucks hasn't worked for this team in the past and it most likely won't if they try cheap with their first pick. Just take the best player.

 

 

Nobody is expecting or advocating that they be "cheap" with their #1 pick. People are just saying that it would asinine to spend close to the entire draft pool on it. It's not going to happen so we can argue all day. If Rodon is on the board at #3 and his representation wants 1:1 money, they will not pick him. Then he will go back to school. It is almost impossible to pay him $8 million unless you are the Astros or Marlins.

[Dick Allen]

Nobody is expecting or advocating that they be "cheap" with their #1 pick. People are just saying that it would asinine to spend close to the entire draft pool on it. It's not going to happen so we can argue all day. If Rodon is on the board at #3 and his representation wants 1:1 money, they will not pick him. Then he will go back to school. It is almost impossible to pay him $8 million unless you are the Astros or Marlins.

I think there is a lot of smoke being blown up a lot of asses. I don't think he will still be there, but if he is, I think it is a near lock the Sox take him, as long as he is healthy.

[caulfield12]

I think there is a lot of smoke being blown up a lot of asses. I don't think he will still be there, but if he is, I think it is a near lock the Sox take him, as long as he is healthy.

 

 

And they won't even be able to give him a comprehensive medical exam.

 

All they will have is video, a recent record of pitch counts and theories based on how often he comfortably goes to the slider, and how often.

[Dick Allen]

Nobody is expecting or advocating that they be "cheap" with their #1 pick. People are just saying that it would asinine to spend close to the entire draft pool on it. It's not going to happen so we can argue all day. If Rodon is on the board at #3 and his representation wants 1:1 money, they will not pick him. Then he will go back to school. It is almost impossible to pay him $8 million unless you are the Astros or Marlins.

It it is quantity over quality, it is time to move Chris Sale. You will get several developed prospects for him.

[Soxfest]

Don't count on it.

I agree If injuries keep happening at the pace they have so far we are a lock for top 5. Need to draft best SP at #3 and hope we get the right guy.

Edited May 3, 2014 by Soxfest

[BigHurt3515]

There is a guy I want us to draft in the later rounds:

 

Matt Tellor out of Southeast Missouri State. He is a senior 1B. Currently batting .380, 14 Home Runs, 59 RBI's, 15 doubles, .659 Slugging %, .435 OBP

 

He is currently top 5 in the nation in both Home Runs and RBI's

 

Oh and he is a switch hitter.

 

I go to the same school as him and have seen him play a lot. The ball jumps off his bat from both sides of the plate.

[southsider2k5]

First off they probably could have still made the Jackson deal without Holmberg. Would you rather have just Trout or Webb and Jaye, a year and a half of Jackson and Holmberg pitching in your low minors and the great Jared Mitchell?

 

I would take the best player. In this situation ot is Mike Trout. Apparently you like the other guys better.

 

Except Mike Trout wasn't anywhere near the best player in that draft. One team, REALLY like him. The rest not so much. In your scenario, we don't get Mike Trout. You have made my entire point for me.

[Balta1701]

Except Mike Trout wasn't anywhere near the best player in that draft. One team, REALLY like him. The rest not so much. In your scenario, we don't get Mike Trout. You have made my entire point for me.

This site was 1000x time more pissed when we passed on Rick Porcello than when we didn't go for Mike Trout.

[Balta1701]

The Major League staff is in critical condition. Get that stabilized as soon as possible and then worry about rounds 2 thru 50 of the draft. This is the price paid for the Wilder scandal,

2/3 of the major league OF is on the disabled list. Shouldn't you be stressing about that?

[maggsmaggs]

2/3 of the major league OF is on the disabled list. Shouldn't you be stressing about that?

That's an injury problem not a talent problem. Fully healthy, we have a very capable outfield of Abreu-Eaton-Garcia. On the rotation side, we have two sure things in Sale/Quintana. Everything else is a question mark. Plus, there is no OF in the draft worthy of a top-three selection.

[Marty34]

2/3 of the major league OF is on the disabled list. Shouldn't you be stressing about that?

 

If we had the pitching depth you trumpeted this winter, the OF would be at the top of the list.

[Balta1701]

That's an injury problem not a talent problem. Fully healthy, we have a very capable outfield of Abreu-Eaton-Garcia. On the rotation side, we have two sure things in Sale/Quintana. Everything else is a question mark. Plus, there is no OF in the draft worthy of a top-three selection.

But of course part of the reason why the rotation is in "critical condition" is that Chris Sale happens to be on the DL right now.

 

I fully agree with you that there's no one other than pitching worthy of that pick, just pointing out that he's only throwing that statement out because it fits his pre-selected agenda to stress out about it.

[fathom]

But of course part of the reason why the rotation is in "critical condition" is that Chris Sale happens to be on the DL right now.

 

I fully agree with you that there's no one other than pitching worthy of that pick, just pointing out that he's only throwing that statement out because it fits his pre-selected agenda to stress out about it.

 

You don't agree the pitching staff looks to be in trouble? Outside of Sale and Quintana, there's no one that you could really count on to put up league average numbers the next few years.

[Dick Allen]

Except Mike Trout wasn't anywhere near the best player in that draft. One team, REALLY like him. The rest not so much. In your scenario, we don't get Mike Trout. You have made my entire point for me.

Who in that draft is better than him? The Mariners almost took him at #2. I read a Rosenthal article a couple years ago there were several teams in the mix to draft him, but he fell. The Yankees were going to take him at 29 if he was till there. There were even some mock drafts that had the White Sox picking him.

 

And if he wasn't picked the reason he shouldn't have been is because the team thought the guy they picked was better. You are advocating taking a lesser player to save money for even lesser players. That doesn't make sense with the #3 pick.

[Balta1701]

Who in that draft is better than him? The Mariners almost took him at #2. I read a Rosenthal article a couple years ago there were several teams in the mix to draft him, but he fell. The Yankees were going to take him at 29 if he was till there. There were even some mock drafts that had the White Sox picking him.

 

And if he wasn't picked the reason he shouldn't have been is because the team thought the guy they picked was better. You are advocating taking a lesser player to save money for even lesser players. That doesn't make sense with the #3 pick.

Wow, so he might have dropped to 29. Man, he must have been terrible.

[Balta1701]

You don't agree the pitching staff looks to be in trouble? Outside of Sale and Quintana, there's no one that you could really count on to put up league average numbers the next few years.

I think the pitching staff looks in trouble when you look at it at what will hopefully be its worst point of the season. I would still be surprised if it looked this bad in a few months.

 

I'd say that the lineup looks like it's in trouble right now too. Eaton looks like he may be a Quentin-post-2009 type who became available because he can't stay healthy, Garcia needed this year and it could well screw him over long term, tons of people want to move Viciedo to DH, and we traded away a valuable chip for a young 3b who is having a ton of trouble at Charlotte right now. The way it looks right now, the positions we have confidence in for 2015 if we're trying to contend are 1b, DH, maybe Catcher if we believe in Flowers, and SS. 2b looks crappy, 3b looks crappy, Garcia will have a spot but that's a "rebuilding" type move, and the OF looks bad. Oh, and about that bench.

 

Welcome to rebuilding. If you're going to stress about the rotation, the lineup looks just about as busted except it has Jose Abreu.

[fathom]

I think the pitching staff looks in trouble when you look at it at what will hopefully be its worst point of the season. I would still be surprised if it looked this bad in a few months.

 

I'd say that the lineup looks like it's in trouble right now too. Eaton looks like he may be a Quentin-post-2009 type who became available because he can't stay healthy, Garcia needed this year and it could well screw him over long term, tons of people want to move Viciedo to DH, and we traded away a valuable chip for a young 3b who is having a ton of trouble at Charlotte right now. The way it looks right now, the positions we have confidence in for 2015 if we're trying to contend are 1b, DH, maybe Catcher if we believe in Flowers, and SS. 2b looks crappy, 3b looks crappy, Garcia will have a spot but that's a "rebuilding" type move, and the OF looks bad. Oh, and about that bench.

 

Welcome to rebuilding. If you're going to stress about the rotation, the lineup looks just about as busted except it has Jose Abreu.

 

With the lineup though, there are pieces (Eaton, Avi, Micah Johnson) that you hope can be fixtures in the starting lineup. That doesn't seem true for the pitching.

 

[Balta1701]

With the lineup though, there are pieces (Eaton, Avi, Micah Johnson) that you hope can be fixtures in the starting lineup. That doesn't seem true for the pitching.

But it's also 9 guys versus 5.

 

I have no issues with drafting a pitcher but the big league team shouldn't be factoring into this, that's all I keep saying. Draft a pitcher because the pitchers are clearly the better choice from this draft.

[Marty34]

But it's also 9 guys versus 5.

 

I have no issues with drafting a pitcher but the big league team shouldn't be factoring into this, that's all I keep saying. Draft a pitcher because the pitchers are clearly the better choice from this draft.

 

So, you're ok drafting a high school arm over Hoffman and/or Rodon?

[fathom]

So, you're ok drafting a high school arm over Hoffman and/or Rodon?

 

I'm fine with Aiken or Kolek

[Balta1701]

So, you're ok drafting a high school arm over Hoffman and/or Rodon?

If the scouts think that those high schoolers are substantially better than the college pitchers, yes.

 

I'm always a little iffy on high school pitchers because of the injury risk, when there's 4-ish years before we talk about them reaching the big leagues, that's 4 years when a guy could get hurt. Compared to a college pitcher who could arrive in 1-2, that's a legit difference.

 

But what the MLB team needs right now? I coudln't care less.

[Marty34]

I'm fine with Aiken or Kolek

 

I don't think they can afford to wait 3 or 4 years for this pick to develop unless they plan on signing one of the big 3 free agent starters this winter.

 

[fathom]

I don't think they can afford to wait 3 or 4 years for this pick to develop unless they plan on signing one of the big 3 free agent starters this winter.

 

Don't get me wrong, I'd be stunned if they took a high school pitcher that high. Everyone you hear speak from the organization seems to hate the idea of taking a high school pitcher as well.

 

[Marty34]

Don't get me wrong, I'd be stunned if they took a high school pitcher that high. Everyone you hear speak from the organization seems to hate the idea of taking a high school pitcher as well.

 

I'll say this I would take Aiken or Kolek over any pitchers other than Hoffman or Rodon. I don't want to see them reaching for a guy like Beedie or worse.